Aerolíneas Argentinas will file a legal complaint against unions representing airline pilots and flight crew members for flight cancellations and delays caused by workers assemblies and strikes over the last few weeks. The flag carrier will also file charges against Pablo Biró, head of Airline Pilots Association union (APLA, for its Spanish initials), and will begin the procedure to expel him from the Aerolíneas board.
On Friday, Aerolíneas Argentinas pilots and flight attendants carried out a nine-hour strike in Aeroparque (Jorge Newbery) and Ezeiza (Ministro Pistarini) airports demanding higher salaries, which led to 183 flights being canceled. Another strike was scheduled for Saturday, this time by an air traffic controllers’ union. However, all the union’s scheduled strikes for September were canceled after the Labor Secretariat required the parties to return to the negotiating table until a solution is reached.
In August, APLA carried out a series of workers assemblies in different airports across the country in protest for what they called “mediocre” salary proposals. Between the 19 and the 30, they had six two-and-a-half hour long assemblies in the Mendoza and Córdoba airpotrts, as well as Ezeiza and Aeroparque.
“The recent protest measures carried out by pilot and flight crew union (APLA and AAA), originally labeled ‘informative assemblies’ in order to disguise their abusive and illegal nature, have already caused Aerolíneas Argentinas over US$2 million dollars in losses,” the company said in a statement. The intended penalty is monetary compensation.
Regarding Biró, the flag carrier said that he held “greater responsibility” given that he was a member of the Aerolíneas Argentinas Directory Board. “Through his public statements and direct actions against company interests, Biró acted disloyally against the company and is responsible” for damages that come as a result of said action, the communiqué read.
“Because of this, the Transportation Secretariat, the company’s main shareholder, has requested that the steps be taken to start the process to expel him from the board.”
The company will also file charges against Juan Pablo Brey, head of the Argentine Association of Crew Members union (AAA, for its Spanish initials), seeking financial compensation.
Aerolíneas has already docked pay of over 400 employees, including pilots, copilots, and crew members, for “not complying with their duties and affecting the company’s flight schedule.” The average amount of withheld salary is AR$150,000 per day for pilots, and AR$50,000 for crew.
In light of these protests, lawmakers from the right-wing PRO party have filed a bill to privatize Aerolíneas Argentinas. They claim the company has been used for political purposes and “marked by corruption,” adding that the carrier is funded with taxpayer pesos, but only the comfortably-off can actually afford to fly.